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Clearing Up the Mess
Team Titan Think Tank Issue 41 "Clearing Up the Mess." Front cover- The group is shown from above standing in a circle. Master of Arms stands front and centre, fists at his sides, clenched, burning in Ethereal fire. Atomic stands behind him, looking outwards, ash drifted up from her arms into the air as opens out her palms. Sonne stands on Atomic's left, kneeling down, emitting a beam of red energy, Reb is on Yu's left, in his amalgamated Hope based form, releasing shining light in a beam into the air. Cain is on Yu's right, eyes glowing red, as red energy shoots from his hands, and Mr Psychic stands behind him, gesturing at a car which he surrounds in a pink field and lifts into the air. The issue opens where we left our heroes... Kaan'Qsst has just surrendered, Bio-Luminal, still at his side, seems to be also doing so, his arms hanging slack, but it is hard to tell. However, there is also Null and the Master of Disguise, in the air as CABER still, to consider. Sonne lands at Lightning, and goes inside to see to his father. "Well, fellows. It doesn't get much more conclusive than our old friend here avoiding a senseless fight, after our main foe has been bested now, does it?" Cain asks, looking to Gunn and the Think Tank, wisps of fire trailing from his wings and eyes "I suppose not." Yu looks distracted as he speaks. Mr Psychic adjusts his hat "I have already been acquitted of my past crimes. It would be senseless for me to resist you... especially since I surrendered my power to Icarus", says Null. "No, there is still more," Reb states, as he looks round to every one. "Other then healing our friends of course, we still have a few loose ends...how are we going to heal everyone, Cain?" He looks to him with FULL ON puppy dog eyes as he asks him. Yu, Master of Disguise, looks down. "Meanwhile, I, Dr Stevens, have a rather, angry, misguided young whelp under the very wrong impression I am wanted for murder. And since I know the truth about the order he serves... I think I will take my leave." Yu's CABER form starts to glow purple as he sucks in the natural energies of the dimension. Without thinking, Toni raises her head at the mention of Doctor Stevens, then pauses as she realises she's the wrong one. "I hope you don't mean... the population of the city, my boy. I imagine we'd need more than a little backup to remedy that, provided Percival's report wasn't an exagerration..." Cain says. "I mean the people Icarus took power from", he starts tearing up, "and Dr Toni, and AND..." his lips startly trembling "and I can't heal them!" he sniffs loudly as he holds back the tears now almost blinding him Master of Arm's gaze shoots up as his nemesis speaks, glaring daggers at him. "Stop." He makes complex gestures with his hands and reels off a chant of Chinese words under his breath very rapidly. He then thrusts a palm towards his foe and makes a grasping motion, the wind picking up as he does. "No" says the other Yu. Purple energy swallows up the man, and he disappears "Reb...it's going to be alright. D...don't worry. We'll fix it...for everyone." Yu remains motionless, his arm still raised towards the spot the other Yu was. He works his jaw, keeping his emotions in check and lets his arm fall. "NO IT WON'T!", Reb cries full out now. "I can't fix you Dr Toni... I can heal any wound but yours!" His face is completely drenched already Yu stares at the spot in the sky for a little longer before turning back to the others. "Reb, calm yourself. I'm going to speak to Sonne, to contact Dr. Waterstone." Reb is trying. His hands cover his eyes as he tries to stop sobbing Atomic pulls herself to her feet, walks over, and hugs Reb. "It'll be alright...we'll find a way. That's why we were all put together. Because they thought that t...together, we could solve anything." Reb hugs her and weeps with long, wet sobs. Sonne is in the formerly super-car, Lightning, with his father, in the midst of you, as stated. "Hey.. if somebody could... give some juice to my cybernetics... that'd be appreciated..." grunts Iron Jack, still forced to lie on the floor, the energy sucked out of his aforementioned cybernetics. Yu watches the Gunns before stepping up to the car, peers at it dubiously and knocks on a window. Le Qui, Fraud, Damage Control and Tommy Gunn are incapacitated still. And Katana, who disappeared with the former host of Icarus, has not been sen again yet "Reb...I should go and help them." Atomic pulls away. "Do you want to help too?" He nods and wipes his tears away. Sonne rolls down a window. "Yo." The team are of course in the midst of 50 unconscious guys "The mission is complete", Yu says to Sonne. "So you tell me. That's for my Father to decide, really", Sonne says. Reb's teary eyes shine brightly and he seems to tighten up and force even more light than before. Atomic prods experimentally at one of her launchers...despite her arm being now made of shifting ash rather than flesh, it seems to keep the thing in place...and a piece falls off. "...These are no use anymore..." Yu balls a fist and frowns, but keeps a level voice. "I do not-...fine. If you insist that this is the case, then get him to Reb." "You should relax, Yu. You're making me uneasy with this tension." Yu takes a step back and a calming breath. "You are right, I am too focused right now. I am just eager to finish this." He can't help but glance expectantly at Sonne's father, however. Reb shakes his fists as he forces even more shining light from his eyes. Atomic wanders over to Null. "G...grandfather...I have a confession to make. I made...a new form of your work..." she is prying open one of the destroyed launchers as she heads towards him. "ARGH!" Reb yells as he falls over and light seems to explode from his eyes and spray out over the area. When the light fades he's lying on the floor. Yu naturally turns at the yell, alarmed. Atomic does not react to the light...in any way. It's as though it didn't happen. White light then bursts out of Reb in a massive cylinder into the sky, which then opens out at the top, falling over the entire mass of unconscious people, and of course the heroes (and villains) in white rain. Though Atomic cannot see the light, she does feel the droplets of semi-solid energy as they fall upon her, and everyone else. Alas, they don't seem to heal Atomic's irradiated form. The comic cuts show the droplets landing on Militia as they fall as white , glowing liquid, which seeps into the skin and then makes their entire bodies glow white for a moment, as they then come to consciousness. Globlets of light fly through the window of the Gunn's car, as Tommy Gunn rewakens. White light falls onto Iron Jack, then turns into white electirical energy, jumpstarting him, as he gets to his feet. Atomic looks down at her still-ruined arm, and shakes her head, a hint of fear in her eyes; white light jotls through her launchers a she shows them to Null. They activate, opening up, as she talks about modifying Null's serums. Yu glances at Sonne before beginning to head over to check on Reb... "A launcher for Surge and Nullifier... fascinating.. wo..." Null cannot quite complete his sentence as he sees the fear written on his grandaughter's face. He folds his arms around her tightly, as white energy falls on him as well. "Not just that...adapted formulae...um...targetted versions, and...and one that works on machines...we...we called them Technochemicals..." she is shaking. "All... all based on your work... your... your notes..." White energy shoots through the car Sonne is sat in as the engine suddenly starts. "Lightning online", it says. "Huh, well great. Weather turns on the car, but not freakin' genius." White energy flows through the car into Sonne at that moment, and then Sonne's burst green with energy for a moment. Yu kneels by Reb. "Are you well?" Reb slowly opens his eyes "Is everyone okay?" He asks weakly, as he shakes a bit to stand back up. Yu stands with him and gestures behind him. "See for yourself." Tommy looks at his son, as his eyes burst briefly with green fire too. "I think you're just understatin' what just happened, son" says Tommy, tackiling his son for a hug. "What- Er, Hi Dad. Welcome to-... consciousness?" "Thanks. Glad to see nobody's dead. What'd I miss? What happened to Icarus?" Reb wobbles to his feet. "Good.. that hurt." He holds his head "One does appreciate scenes such as this." Mr Psychic's eyes also blaze briefly with green fire. "Yu said the mission was complete, so I'm guessing he's been taken out. It's hard to tell, with things as they are currently. I think Cain knows more", Sonne explains to Tommy. Cain looks up, the rain hissing around him in a dim flame aura. "The power of hope... I wonder, could *I* have done this?" Cain thinks. "All right, well we just need to check a few details f-" Tommy looks out to see Biohazrd's prone form. "****. Den!" Tommy runs out the car to Biohazard, the once animate skeleton, the green fire stolen from his eyes, now lying on the ground. "Not you, only just got you back..." "You can take it easy now. Whilst I know that you...cannot do the same for Tonic, she could do with your supp-" Yu halts, looking around at the commotion. White droplets of energy fall upon Biohazard. As the energy phases through his helmet and drips into his empty eye sockets. As fire blazes into place. White fire. Gunn leaps back As Biohazard gets to his feet, balls of white fire now burning brightly in his eyes. White fire wraps around his fists for a moment. "... We win?" Gunn then hugs his best friend. Then he points a thumb towards the Think Tank, all clustered in frame. "They did... well, with Icarus. Still need some details there." Then he looks around as the entire militia around the heroes get up. Le Qui and Fraud also scramble to their feet, and Damage Control's shoulder cannons glow with energy once again."... though might not be out of the fire yet." Reb looks to Yu. "What can I do for her?" he asks him. Yu looks over towards Kaan'Qsst as the Milita rise. He tears his gaze away, distracted, as Reb speaks. "Help give her hope." Reb looks to him, nods, and wobbles over to Atomic. Kaan'Qsst looks to Fraud. "Do you still have a hold of them?" "Ummmmmmm..." The militia just stare at everyone. "They aren't kicking several shades of hell out of me, so... I think so." He then looks around at the heroes, and goes somewhat red. "What do you want me to do about them... and then them" he points at the heroes. "Nothing. Stand your ground for now", Kaan'Qsst looks to Yu. "My colleague still has hold of these men via the last suggestions he gave them. Releasing them might produce an... angered reaction. What do you s-" "Hang on why are surrendering, we have them surr-" "Shut up", Kaan'Qsst says. Yu watches the exchange with his best blank face on, giving Kaan'Qsst a nod. "It will not be long until this dimension is realigned with our usual one." "Then what would you have me do with my small armed force?" Kaan'Qsst asks Yu. "I assume you would be morally opposed to their continued servitude to Fraud." "They are living beings. They should be allowed to choose their own actions. However, if they wish to join you in your crusade, of their own volition..." Yu punctuates his sentence with a shrug. Reb reaches Toni. She turns to face Reb, bending her knees to be at eye level with him "Are you alright?" He stands next to her with a smile. "Let me reiterate. They did not choose this course... though they were already under Fraud's control at Blitzkrieg's request. He merely feared to release them. I do believe my colleague fears what they might do to him, should they be released" Kaan'Qsst says. "Well, it would have been fine if you hadn't said in front of them i'm controlling them!" says Fraud, raising his hands up in the air. "I'm afraid I am not fully versed in the workings of your power." "Of course not, I call myself FRAUD for gods sake..." Yu resists the urge to smile and glances around at anyone else that might be listening, to see if they have anything to say on the matter. "I'm okay... it hurt, but I'm fine." Reb smiles. "You need anything?" Mr Psychic is seen walking up to Fraud, "I thought you looked familiar. I believe I have met you before in another reality, sir." "Well then, that makes us practically ****ing cousins!" says Fraud to Psychic. Le Qui folds his arms "Hardly. You don't even recognise your own brothair." Fraud fails to seem to register Le Qui as he says this. Atomic gives a slight laugh that turns into another bout of coughing "I...no...nothing I c..can ask you to do, Reb. You worry about the i...important things, ok?" "Language, my good fellow", Psychic says to Fraud. Atomic ruffles Reb's hair and gives a weak smile. Reb looks to her. "Thats why i'm asking if you need anything," "Yes, language. I'm speaking language. How perceptive of you, Mister Teapot!" Fraud calls out in the background. "''Psychic, ''sir", the top hat wearing hero corrects. "Part of me thinks that they have the right to know, unless you can suggest anything, Mr. Psychic?" "Really? I failed to notice, what with the terrible dress sense. An actual psychic would know he looks and sounds like an idiot", Fraud continues to berate Pinkley. "This is the height of fashion, sir. But I will bid you good day for now." "Reb..we should help them..." Atomic suggests, and the boy nods. "F...Fraud, if you're quite done insulting us...I have an idea." Fraud points at Mr Psychic. "Insulting him, mainly." "YOU LEAVE MR PSYCHIC ALONE!" he yells "He's cooler then you could ever look! He has a tophat!" Yu almost jumps at Reb's outburst. Atomic smiles despite herself at Reb's outburst, though she is desperately trying to resist that. "I think I can solve this d...dilemma. Even though I d...don't know you from another dimension. Or this one." "Not to worry, son. Just simple words. The man is clearly not the one I encountered before. Certainly not capable of the same atrocities."Mr Psychic says to Reb. "You know what. I think I am now quite fed up of idiots in top hats, whining children, and deep voiced aliens and stuttery ladies telling me what to do, cos you know what?" He puts his megaphone to his mouth. "Telling people what to do IS MY GOD-DAMNED SUPER-POWER, SO EVERYBODY LISTEN UP, YOU ARE NOW ALL MY BITCHES AND WILL DO WHATEVER I SAY!" At the words 'telling people what to do is my super power', Gunn kills all audio to his suit. He's learnt this lesson the hard way, and moves to step out of the car before the sentence is finished. "I am nobody's...'bitch', Fraud. Not yours, or anybody else. And I j..just stopped a damn nuclear reactor killing you, and everyone in this city, and was about to offer a solution to your problem, which I have no obligation whatsoever to do as y...you are a complete stranger to me. So s..shut up and listen, yourself... sorry for my language, Reb." she looks down at him slightly sheepishly.. Yu's eyes widen in alarm and his body goes rigid. Mr Psychic seems to adopt a more rigid stance too. Reb stutters a little as he speaks as if the words are forced out. "I'm your b-b-itch and will do whatever you s-say," Cain sees Fraud reach for his megaphone and quickly hastens to cover his ear-holes, eyes shut tightly. Fraud's words seem to "strike" him, and as if by a shockwave, his body changes to be made of red brick. "Well, well..." he says to himself, looking at his claws. Gunn's heels glow a faint red as he's held scant milimeters from the floor, hovvering closer without moving towards Fraud. Yu's hand shakes tremendously as it reaches for his teleporter, his teeth gritted. With great effort, he slaps the control and vanishes, reappearing instantly infront of Fraud. With a loud cry, he brings the edge of his palm down onto his megaphone, smashing it to the ground in pieces. "Hey my megaphone... you ****er! Right thats it, everybody that can still hear me..." "SURPRISE, SCRAPSHUNT!" Gunn barks, suddenly throwing his hands infront of him. Two thin beams of ZiPPE energy grab his lower jaw and forehead, clamping them shut as the energy ripples over him. "Thats it son... you tell the scum... scu...ba... hate mind.. control..." says his father. Fraud clutches at his forcibly closed mouth. "What's the matter, lost for words? Let me help you. 'I surrender, More Handsome Gunn. What's more, I'll come along peacefully'." "...Sonne, hold him for...a second. Time...to show my grandfather what I can do with his work." She flicks a few catches on her wrist launcher, partially opening afew compartments in it...which suddenly empty and expand, becoming a slightly luminous green gas that spreads across the area "I... I tried to do this the nice way....but..." she then drops to the floor on her hands and knees, eyes rolling back in her head and screaming in blinding pain. The luminous gas spreads across the area, engulfing even the entire Militia "My god..." says Null, looking up, before dropping to his knees to his granddaughter, pushing up his mask, so his mouth is visible. "A Surge mix capable of creating specific situational powers... incredible... and gaseous... terrifying... I believe that is enough now Bethoni, you must... rest." "HAD IT with mind control!" Iron Jack says, with a quick blur, getting his rifle into firing position. He fires the bullet at Fraud's chest, but there is no blood, and Fraud doesn't seem hurt "Bhfhfhf vsft" Fraud remarks. Then drops to his knees and raises his hands "I should bloody well think so too" says Iron Jack, keeping the rifle levelled at him. End of issue